Acetylene-gas machine.



No. 634,690. Patented on. H], I899.

J. E. LANDRUM, 88;, G. F. DiLLON 8:. J. E. LANDRUM, .IR.

ACETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

(Applicativn filed A r. 13, 1599.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I,

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No. 634,690. Patented Dci'. l0, i899.

J. E. LANDRU'M, $8., 6. F. DILLON & .J. E. LANDRUMflR.

AGETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1899.) I (No'HodoL) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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. 1 I UNIT- n STATES JOHN E. LANDRUM, ss,

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE, r. DILLON, AND JOHN E. LANDRUM, us,

or cENTEnBURe, OHIO.

ACETYLENE-GAS MACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming of Letters Patent No. 634,690, dated October 10, 1899.

7 Application filed April 13, 1899. $erial1l'o. 712,85 8. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, JOHN E. LANDRUM, Sr. GEORGE E. DILLON, and Joan E. LANDRUM, J r., citizens of the United States, residing at Genterburg, in the county of Knox and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Acetylene-Gas Ma chines, of which the following is a specification. Our invention relates to the improvement of acetylene-gas machines; and the objects of our invention are to provide an acetylenegas-producing machine of improved construc tion and arrangement of part-s, to provide in r 5 conjunction there with an improved carbid-receptacle adapted to be so supported and operated as to receive the carbid which is antomatically deposited therein and to admit of the ready and convenient removal of the carbid residue or exhausted product, to provide improved means for automatically and suecessively discharging desirable quantities of carbid into the generator, and to produce other improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects we accomplish in the manner, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View in perspective of our im- 0 proved gas-producing machine. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective, showing a sliding rack-bar and trip-lever which we employ in the manner hereinafter described in connection with our machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line m x of Fig. 4. Fig. dis a sectional view on two planes, as indicated by line 1 y in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of the carbid-holding and generating bucket and its supporting-cage, and Fig. 0 6 is a plan view of the carbid-supply case.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the-several views.

In carrying out our invention we employ a main casing or tank 1 of suitable dimensions and form, from the upper side of which, near one end thereof, rises a vertical casing extension 2, the latter havingits upper side open,- as shown; 3 represents an inner casing-neck,

which also rises from the upper side of the casing '1 within the extension 2,

this inner neck portion forming, in conjunction with an internal downwardly-extendingspout i,ahopper through which carbid is adapted to descend into the generator supported, as hereinafter described, below the top plated of the casing 1. As shown in the drawings, the spout or hopper discharge 4 has its walls inclined to direct the contents'thereof through an opening 6 in the casing-top 1, said hopperspont being continued downward through and below said opening in the form of a discharging-nozzle 7. v

8 represents a carbid-snpply case or reservoir whichis in the form of two parallel oblong boxes 9, which are connected near their lower sides by pairs of transverse pins 10, the pins of said pairs being preferably arranged one. above the other, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4: of the drawings. These pins may be loosely surrounded by sleeves or rollers 11. The upper side of each of the boxes 9 is provided with a detachable removable lid 12. By providing each of said boxes 9 at intervals with transverse partitions 13 each box is divided into the desired number of compartments 14c, and each of these compartments has its otherwise-open lower end provided with a bottom plate or door 15, which is hinged on a longitudinally arranged rod 16 adjacent to the outer side of the box, thus admitting of said bottom plates or doors dropping downward to vertical positions, as indicated in one instance by dotted lines in Fig. 8. These conipartment bottom doors are, however, normally retained in their upper or closed positions by being provided on their inner sides with projecting pins 17, which, ext-endin g through notches 18 in the lower edges of the inner side walls of the boxes 9, engage the up per side of a sliding latch-plate 19, which is movably supported between the upper and lower pin sleeves 11. The sliding latch-plate 19 has its edges provided at desirableinte rvals with notches or recesses such as are indicated more clearly in Fig. 6 at 20, these notches being of such relative arrangement as to be brought one at a time opposite theprojecting end portions of the pins 17 as the latch-plate is made to slide horizontally, thus successively uncovering the projecting endsof the cated, respectively, at 30 and 31.

pins 17 and allowing the doors or compartment bottom plates to drop to the open positions.

'lhecarbid-supplycase 8,formed asabove described, is provided in its upper portion with lateral and one-end hook projections, such as are indicated at 21 in Figs. 4 and 6, which are adapted to engage the corresponding upper edges of the inner casing-neck 3, thus suspending said reservoir in the upper portion of said neck and in position to discharge its contents into the inclined and converging hopper-outlet 4.

22 represents a latch-operating yoke which has its lower portion fulcrumed at 23 (see Fig. 3) at the bottom space between the inner and outer casings 2 and 3. One of the upwardly-extending arms of this yoke extends inwardly over a portion of the casing 3 and thence downwardly therein and in front of the reservoir 8, as indicated at 22 in Figs. 4 and 3. This downwardly-projecting lever end is fulcrumed at 24 to a hook-finger 25, which extends between the parallel boxes 9 and the downturned outer end of which is adapted to engage an opening 26 in the latch-plate 19. The hook-finger 25 is preferably provided with a projecting arm or handle 27. The remaining and outer vertical arm of the yoke 22 is, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, connected with the rear or inner end of a horizontal rack-bar 28, said rack-bar having a sliding support upon the top of the casing extension 2, at the junction of two sides of the latter. The upper surface of the rack-bar is provided throughoutits length with two parallel rows of inclined teeth, such as are indi- The teeth of the inner row 30 are adapted to be engaged by the point of a forwaidly-projecting pawl 32, the inner end of which is journaled on the yoke or crank portion 33 of a pawl-operating lever-rod 33, said yoke portion bridging the rack-bar 28 and-having its outwardly-projecting arm 33", passing beneath the rack-bar 28, fulcrumed at 34 to the forward end of the casing extension 2. The inner and angular end portion of the lever 33 is, as indicated at 33, provided with a weight which serves to hold the arm 33 in its upper or horizontal position. Over the outer row of rack-bar teeth 31 is designed to engage the point of a pawl 35,which is pivoted on a suitable bracketarm 36, which rises from the casing 2.

37 represents a gas-discharge pipe which, as

indicated, leads downward from a point in the upper portion of the casing 3 to a point near the upper portion of the casing 1 and thence outward, said outwardly-extending portion being provided with a suitable valve 38.

37 represents a gas-feed pipe which also leads outward from the upper portion of the casing 1 at a point beneath the casing 2, said gas-feed. pipe connecting in a suitable manner with the lower portion of a gasometer which is arranged adjacent to the machine herein described.

39 represents a casing-cover which, as i11- dicated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, is in the form of an inverted opentopped box, the cover thus formed being adapted to have its vertical walls inserted between the walls of the inner and outer casing-sections 2 and 3. The casing-cover 39 has pivoted centrally to its top plate a latchbar 40, the outer projecting ends of the latter being adapted to be engaged with lateral notches or recesses in the upper end portions of vertical catch-pieces 41, which rise from theends of the casing 2. Leadingout through the upper side of the cover-section 39 is a gas-outlet tube 42, within which is contained a' suitable valve, the casing of which is indicated at 43. With the stem of this valve is connected a short arm 44, which through the medium of a connecting-bar 45 is jointedly connected with the pivoted latch-bar 40, this connection resulting when the latch-bar is rotated on its pivot, and the ends of said latchbar are disconnected from the catch-pieces 41 in opening said valve 43. \Vithin the upper portion of the main case 1 and depending from its top plate 5 at a point below the innor wall of the casing 2 is a vertical and transverse plate 46. Between the inner wall of this plate 46 and the outer wall of the casing 1 we provide a ring or partition in the form of a truncated cone 47, into which the discharging end of the hopper-outlet 4 projects.

48 represents a bucket-holdin g cage which is provided at the center of its height and on opposite sides thereof with projecting trunnions 49, these trunnions having a pivotal connection with corresponding ends of angular lever-bars 50, the outer ends of which are, as shown, fulcrumed on a horizontal crankshaft 51, which is journaled between the side walls of the casing 1 at a point in front of the depending casing-plate 46. This crank-shaft extends through one of the side walls of the casing 1 and is provided with a handle extension 51, which when extending in one direction is adapted to be detachably connected with a suitable form of lateral projecting catch -bracket 51, thereby retaining said shaft-arm 51 in a substantially horizontal position and supporting the bucket-holding cage in the position indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The shaft-arm 51 is also adapted when turned in the opposite direction to engage a pivoted catch-hook 51", which is sup ported from a laterally-projecting bracket 51. When the shaft-arm is supported in this latter position, it is obvious that the bucket-cage will be supported in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings-that is, with the upper end portion of the bucket projecting through or adjacent to an opening in the upper side of the casing 1. The cage 48 is further supported by a lever-bar 52, one end of which is fulcrumed at 53 (see Fig. 3) to one side of said cage and the remaining end of which is fulcrumed to one of the side walls of the case 1 beneath the shaft 51, said leverbar 52 being thus arranged on the outer side of and out of the path of the levers 50.

The cage constructed as above described has one of its frame-standards 48 provided with an'upward extension, in which is produced a notch or recess 48". Said cage is designed to hold a generating-bucket 54, this bucket having detachably supported in its upper half a disk 55 of wire-netting or suitable open-work. The bucket 54 is provided in its upper portion with a projecting pin 54, which is adapted to engage the frame-standard recess 48* of the cage. The upper and open end of the bucket is provided with an upwardly-projectingpacking-ring 56-. The bottom of the bucket 54 is, as indicated at 57, provided with a valve-opening and hinged valve, the latter being adapted to be raised or opened by upward pressure thereon. In the bottom of the casing 1 at a point vertically beneath the shaft 51 we provide, for the purpose hereinafter described, a raised strip 58. 4

In utilizing our invention the tank or main casing 1 is designed to be filled within a short distance of the top thereof with water, and

the compartments 14: of the carbid-supply case 8 are designed to be filled to thedesired extent with carbid, while the generatingbucket 54 has its supporting-levers so turned as to cause the upper end packing-strip of said bucket to close around the central opens ing of the casing-ring 47 in the manner indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It is obvious, however, that this packing-strip may bear against a horizontal partition-plate such as is indicated in dotted lines at 47.

In practice the machine herein described is so supported as to cause the projecting arm 33 of the trip and pawl operating lever 33 to extend in the path of an ordinary verticallymovable gasometer. Assuming that the rackbar 28 is in its innermost position and the pawls 32 and 35 are engaging teeth in the outer end thereof, it is obvious that a downward movement of the gasometer and consequent depression of the trip-lever 33 must result in an upward and outward swinging movement of the yoke portion 33 of said. lever and a consequent outward movement of the rack-bar 28 and yoke-rod 22 through the engagement of the pawl 32 with one of the teeth of the rack-bar. This outward movement of the rack-bar is sufficient to cause,

through the corresponding movement of theyoke-rod 22 and the connection of the latter with the sliding plate 19, such outward movement of said plate 19 as to cause a disengagement of its inner end with the projecting pin 17 of one of the compartment-doors 15, thereby admitting of the dropping of 7 said compartment-door and the dumping of the contents of the compartment into the hopper or combined to generate the gas in the usual manner, the gas thus formed rising and passingoutward through the feed-pipe 3'7, and thencedownward to the lower portion of a gasometer, withwhich it connects in the usual of the compartment-doors are successivelybrought opposite or made to register with the lateral notches or recesses 20 of the sliding plate,'which must result in successivelyreleasing the doors of said compartments. In this manner it will be seen that the contents of the compartments 14 will be successively discharged into the generating-bucket and that these discharges will only occur when the volume of gas contained in the gasometer is such as to admit the latter to drop or move downward into contact with the trip-lever. It is obvious that a reversed or inward movement of the rack bar will be prevented through the successive engagement of the teeth 31 with the pawl 35 as the rack-bar is moved outward.

In order to gain access to the carbid-hold-v ing compartments for the purpose of refilling or for other purposes,'the cover-section 39 is firstnnlatched from the casing 2 by'so rotating the latch-bar 40 as to disengage the latter from the notches of the catch-pieces 41. In this rotary movement of said latch-bar the valve 43 is opened, as hereinbefore explained, and such gas as may haveaccumulated beneath the cover-section may be allowed to escape. In case it is desired at any time to relieve the casing extension 2 from the volume of gas contained therein itis obvious that this may be accomplished by opening the valve 38 of the outlet-pipe 37.

One of the leading featuresof our invention, however, lies in the manner of support ing and operating the generating-bucket, which is such as to admit of said bucket being retained either in the closed position against the ring 47 during the generation of gas or to admit of its being swung to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to allow the convenient withdrawal of the bucket and disposal of the carbid residue contained therein. It will be observed in this connec tion that although the levers 50 serve to support the bucket-holding cage 48 the additional lever 52 will serve to steady said cage, prevent the same being overturned, and insure the movement of the same when operated in the arc of a circle. To further insure tom strip 58, which is of such height as to engage the bottom of the cage in case of a tendency of the latter to tip.

From the construction and operation herein shown and described it will be seen that an acetylene-gas-producing machine is provided in which improved means are provided for automatically and successively discharging quantities of carbid into the generator and that improved means are also provided whereby the generating-bucket may be so manipulated as to admit of the carbid residue being readily and conveniently removed therefrom with comparatively slight labor.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an acetylenegas machine, the con1- bination with a water-case 1, a gas-compartment arranged in the upper portion and ad jacent to one end thereof and an opening in the upper side and adjacent to the opposite end thereof, and means above said water-case for discharging carbid through said gas-compartment, of a shaft journaled in said case 1, levers carried on said shaft, a bucket-holding cage 48 with which the outer ends of said levers are pivotally connected at opposite points and a lever 52 also fulcrumed within said case and having a pivotal connection with the lower portion of said case, and a generating-bucket detachably supported in said cage, a removable diskof open-work within said bucket and means for rotating said shaft 51 and retaining the cage-supporting levers in such position as to cause a gas and water tight contact with said gas-compartment or to support said cage adjacent to the upper side opening in said casing 1, substantially as specified.

2. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination with a water-holding case, a carbidsupply case above said water-case, a gas-com partment arranged in the upper portion of said water-case, means for discharging carbid from said upper case through said gas-compartment and a feed-pipe leading outward from said gas-compartment, of a bucket-holding cage and bucket supported therein, a

shaft 51 journaled in said water-tank, levers.

carried on said shaft and having their outer ends pivoted to said bucket-cage, said shaft being adapted to be so turned as to hold the upper end of said bucket in a gas and water tight connection with said gas-compartment or to hold said bucket-cage adjacent to an upper side opening in said water-case, substantially as specified.

3. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination with a water-case 1, a gas-compartment in the upper portion thereof, a gas-outlet for said gas compartment and a generatingbucket adapted to be supported beneath said gas-compartment and in gas and water tight connection therewith, of a casin g 2 supported above said case 1, a removable cover for said case 2, a carbid-supply case supported-in the upper portion of said case 2, said case consisting of separated compartments provided with hinged bottom plates, pins projecting from said bottom plates, a sliding plate nor mally. supporting the projecting ends of said pins and having lateral notches, a hopper beneath said carbid-supply case, a discharge through said gas compartment into said bucket, a lever connected with said sliding plate and means whereby successive depressions of said lever move the notched portions of said sliding plate successively beneath the projecting portions of said pins, substantially as specified.

4. In an acetylene-gas machine, the combination with a water-case 1 having a gas-compartment in its upper portion and a carbidreceiving and generating bucket adapted to be supported in communication with said gascompartment, of a casing 2 above said watercasing, a cover-section adapted to close the same, a horizontal rack-bar having parallel rows of teeth and provided with a sliding support above said casing 2, a fulcrumed.leverrod 33 having a projecting arm portion 33 a pawl carried on said lever-rod above said rackbar and adapted to engage the teeth of one side thereof and a pivoted stop-pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the other set, a fulcrumed yoke-rod 22 having its outer end connected with the inner end of said rack-bar, a carbid-supply case supported in the upper portion of the case 2, said supply-case consisting of separated compartments and a hinged bottom plate in each of said compartments, a pin projecting from each of said bottom plates, a sliding plate 19 arranged to normally hold said compartment-bottom pins in horizontal positions and a connection between said slid ing plate 19 and said yoke-rod 22, whereby the outward movements of said yoke-rod produce corresponding outward movements of said sliding plate and result in a successive disengagement of the compartment-bottomplate pins therewith, substantially as specified.

JOHN E. LANDRUM, SR.

GEORGE F. DILLON. JOHN E. LANDRUM, JR.

In presence of- W. D. WILLIs, MAURICE XVnLsI-I. 

